Flexible drinking straw



May l, 1951 J. B. FRIEDMAN 2,550,797

FLEXIBLE DRINKING STRAW Filed June 5; 1948 /atented lViay "UNITED STATES*PATENT ortica FLEXIBLE DRINKING s'rRAW Joseph-B. Friedman, Maywood,Calif.

Application June 5, 1948, ySerial No. 31,382

3 Claims.

This invention relates to Yimprovements in drinking tubes and, moreparticularly, to that type of drinking tube known as a drinking straw.

The drinking straw whichv is provided by my invention comprises agenerally cylindrical body having smooth end portions and anintermediate corrugated or convoluted portion which is adapted to permitone'of the end portions of the straws embodying convoluted, intermediateportions. As indicated above, the exible nature of the straws permittedthe end portions thereof to r"depart rfrom -the vertical axes of the'straws straw to be bent from the vertical axis thereof into a positionwhich will permit the person ldrawing liquid through the drinking strawto bend the end portion of the drinking straw into a position whichpermits the person drinking to more readily and easily imbibe liquidthrough the straw.

A drinking straw invented vby me, andsomewhat similar in type to thatdisclosed by me in this application, is shown in United States' PatentNo. 2,094,268, issued on September 28, 1937. The

vdrinking straw shown in'my previous patent,

while a considerable advance over the prior art in that it provided astraw which was constituted by two end portions having a `generallycylindrical shape and a smooth periphery joined together by an integral,intermediate, flexible portion which wouldd permit the end portions'to'be displaced from the vertical axis of thestraw, nevertheless, hadcertain inherent disadvantages which jit is an object of the presentinvention to overcome.

Drinking straws constructed in accordance vwith my previous inventionhad their intermediate, exible, convoluted portions so constructed vthat the ridges of the convolutions projected beyond the peripheralareasof the adjacent end portions. Thus, when straws so constructed were'packed into the containers `from whichthey were to be dispensed, ltheintermediateportions of adjacent straws became intermeshed onewithanother in such a manner that thev withdrawal of 5 one straw occasionedthe'inadvert'ent, simultaneous withdrawal of straws whose intermediate,-flexible portionsV were in contact with -the interl mediate,lexible'portion of the strawv which was Withdrawn. Therefore, thewithdrawal of one straw necessitated the simultaneous withdrawal ofseveral other straws and since it was diicult to 'replace theinadvertently withdrawn straws in the dispensing container,"thesestrawsr were fre- -quently discarded by theA person' withdrawing them.As can be readily appreciated, considerable wastage resulted.

In addition, packaging of straws constructed in accordance "with myprevious invention was `rather'diiiicult because of the' flexible natureof Thus, when the straws were in the process of being packaged, it wasvery diiicult to so align the straws that they could be readily enclosedin the dispensing container.

Furthermore, in straws constructed in -accordance with my prior' patent,the incorporation jofthe intermediate, flexible portion permitted theendportions 'of such a straw which projected from the mouth of a vessel orthe neck of a bottle Vfrom which liquid was to be imbibed, to droopvover the edge of the vessel or bottle immediately upon the placing ofvthe straw in the vessel or bottle. Thus, it was necessary for thelperson utilizing the straw to hold the end of the straw in his fingersWhile he-was drawing liquid therethrough. Also, when the Vstraw wasremoved A from the mouth of the person utilizing it, the

end portion would once again droop over the edge of the container and itoccasionally happened that fluid remaining in the upper end of vthestraw-would leak upon the surface on which the container was situated,thus creating an untidy and unsanitary condition.

As may befclearly seen from a consultation of my previous patent, theconvolutions provided intermediate the smooth end portions ofl the strawwere arranged transversely of the central vertical axis'of the straw.These transverse cor- "rugations, while achieving their purpose ofpercordance with my previous invention.

It is, therefore, a primary object of my invention to provide a drinkingstraw having a generally cylindrical shape and composed of twosmooth-surfaced end portions joined together by an intermediate,convoluted, flexible portion adapted to-permit eitherof 'the endportions to assume a position divergent from the vertical central axisof the straw, which 'isso constructed that the intermediate, flexible'portion of the straw will not ordinarily become intermeshed to thewidest diameter of either of the end portions of said straw.

vAnother object of my invention is the provision of a drinking strawhaving generally cylindrical, smooth surfaced end portions joined by anintegral, intermediate, flexible portion adapted to permit thedivergence of either end portion from the vertical central axis of saidstraw, Which'has applied to the surface thereof a coating of afrangible, plastic substance which is adapted to temporarily rigidifythe flexible,` intermediate portion of the straw to facilitate thepackaging of said straw. Thus,l difficulties encountered in packingprior art straws because of their flexible nature are avoided. Y

An additional object of my invention is the provision of a drinkingstraw having an intermediate, flexible portion which has depositedthereupon a coating of a frangible, plastic material adapted to renderthe intermediate flexible portion temporarily rigid, which plasticmaterial will readily fracture when one end of the straw is adjustedinto a position divergent from the central vertical axis of said straw,but which will nevertheless retain a sufficient amount of rigidity tosustain the divergent end of said straw in the position into which ithas been initially adjusted. Thus, diiculties encountered in prior artstraws because of the drooping of the end portion thereof are avoided instraws constructed in accordance with my present invention.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a drinking strawhaving an intermediate, flexible portion which is adapted to permit thedivergence of either end of said straw from the vertical central axisthereof and which is constituted by a helix or spiral. The helix orspiral provides a continuous ridge and an associated continuous groovefor the entire length of the flexible, intermediate portion of thestraw. The construction and formation of the intermediate, exibleportion of the straw in the shape of a spiral materially strengthen thestraw and permit the more effective distribution of the frangible,plastic, stiifening substance upon the intermediate, flexible portion ofthe straw. In addition, the frangible, plastic, stiifening substancewhich is deposited in the continuous groove formed by the spiralprovides a columnar effect which tends to make the stiffening action ofthe plastic substance more eifective.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following specification and drawing, which is for the purposeof illustration only, and in which:

Fig. l is a vertical elevational View of an apparatus adapted to beutilized in the construction or formation of straws made in accordancewith my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partly elevational, partly sectional view taken on thebroken line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of a straw formed inaccordance with my invention showing the manner in which the frangibleplastic stiffening substance is deposited upon the surface of theintermediate, flexible portion of the straw; f Y,

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a flexible drinking straw constructedin accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a flexible drinking strawconstructed in accordance with my invention in the position in which itmay be disposed when in use.

Referring now to the drawing, as best shown in Figs. 3 and el, I show anadjustable drinking straw I which is preferably formed of readilydeformable material, and which has a generally cylindrical, smoothsurfaced end portion i I joined to a generally cylindrical, smoothsurfaced end portion i2 through the medium of an integral, intermediate,flexible, convoluted portion I3. The provision of the intermediate,flexible portion i3 joining the smooth surfaced, generally cylindricalend portions Ii and I2 permits either of said end portions ii or I2,when said straw is in use, to be positioned at an angle divergent fromthe central vertical axis of said straw to facilitate the utilization oisaid straw by an individual who intends to use the straw.

The utilization of a readily deformable material in the formation of thedrinking Straw I0 permits the intermediate, flexible portion I3 to bemore readily7 formed in the body of the-straw. The intermediate,flexible portion I3 of the drinking straw Ii) is constituted by a spiralor helix which provides a continuous ridge running the length of theintermediate, flexible portion and an alternate continuous groove whichalso runs the length of said intermediate, flexible portion. Theconstruction of the intermediate, flexible portion of the straw by theutilization of a spiral or helix materially strengthens the straw inthis region and is a considerable advance over the transversecorrugations disclosed in my previous patent.

As best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, there is deposited upon thesurface of the intermediate, flexible portion I3 of the drinking straw Ia coating of a frangible, plastic substance I6 which is deposited uponthe alternately disposed ridge Ill and groove I5 of the intermediateportion I3 of the straw lil.

The deposition of the plastic, frangible coating I5 upon theintermediate, flexible portion I3 of the straw I serves to temporarilyrender the intermediate, ilexible'portion of the straw rigid and'thuspermits the straw Ii! to be as easily handled in packaging asconventional straws. In addition, as can be observed from the drawing,the frangible, plastic coating tends to become more thickly deposited inthe groove I5 of the spiral or helix and thus provides a continuousribbon or band of increased thickness which substantially enhances thestiffening effect of the plastic, frangible'coating. In addition totemporarily stilfening the intermediate, flexible portion I3 of thestraw IU and thus permitting the packaging of the straw to `befacilitated, the plastic frangible coating I6 also permits the moreeffective adjustment ofthe end of the straw into a desired position.

When straws constructed in accordance with my previous invention wereremoved from the dispensing package and inserted in the mouth of aVessel or the neck of a bottle, the end of the straw which vprojectedfrom said vvessel or bottle would immediately droop over the side of thevessel or bottle. Thus, the user of the straw had to hold the straw inhis lingers at all times when he was drawing liquid therethrough. Whenhe released the straw there was a tendency for liquid contained in theend of the straw to be deposited cific needs.

5 f pon thefsurface on which the vessel ory bottle rested.

r,By providing the intermediate; flexible portion I3 of the straw I0with a coating IS of frangible, plastic material, I aml able to producea straw which, when placed in the mouth of a vessel or the neck of abottle, will `statici therein with the end portion projecting from saidVessel or bottle ,aligned with the `Vertical central axis of said straw.The immediate drooping `of the end of an angle divergent from thevertical central axis of saidstraw which is most suitable to his spe-Further, when he has adjusted the endl of the straw to this angle, theplastic coating uponthe intermediate, eXible portion of the straw,although partially fractured, will serve to Aretain the end portion ofthe straw in the position into `which it has been initially adjusted.

The manner in which-the upper end portion II of the straw I0 ismaintained in its adjusted position'ismost clearly shown in Fig. 5 ofthe draw- -ing where the straw is shown disposed in the Y neck of abottle I1. I thus provide va straw which Ais capable of being adjustedto a position suited y to the needs of the user of the straw and whichlwill remain in the adjusted position. The adjustable nature of my strawmakes it most desirable for use in hospitals and similar institutionswhere a bedridden individual is incapable of holding the end of thestraw in his lingers while he draws `liquid therethrough. It is possiblefor the attendant who places the straw in the vessel in i which theliquid is contained to adjust the straw to the most desirable angle andbe sure that the end .of the straw will not diverge from the initiallyadjusted position. y

I provide an apparatus or machine I3, as best shown in Fig. 1, adaptedto effectively manufacvture straws constructed in accordance with mypresent invention and including a frame I3 of generally L-shapedconguration having a bed 2| to which it is rigidly but movably secured.

i Formed integrally with the frame I9 and the apparatus I8 is anoutwardly projecting lower arm 22 which has positioned on its outermostend a lower fixed shoe 23 of generally arcuate conguration. Formed uponthe upper surface of the lower fixed shoe 23 is an integral die member24 which is adapted to form the spiral con- Volutions of theintermediate, exible portion I3 ofthe -straw I0 in a manner which willbe described below.

Secured upon an upstanding leg 25 of the apparatus IB through the mediumof a pin 25 or similar fastening device is a pivotally mounted,outwardly projecting upper arm 2,1 which bears upon its outermost end anupper, arcuately shaped shoe 28. Formed integrally with the under sideof the upper shoe 28 is an arcuately shaped die member 29 adapted tocooperate with -the lower die member 24 in the formation of the fflexible, intermediate portion I3 of the straw I3.

28 toward the lower arm 22 and its.associated flower'xed shoe 23. A stopseat 34 formed upon lthe upper end of the upstanding leg 425 of themachine I8 is adapted to contact-the inner end of the outwardlyprojecting upper arm 21 and prevent the downward declination thereofbeyond a certain point.

Adapted to be interposed between the lower xed shoev 23 and the uppermovable shoe 28 and to be contacted by the lower die member 24 and theupper movable die member 29v is a mandrel 35 which has formed thereupona con- Vportion `I3 of the straw I0.

voluted central portion 33v in the'shape of a spiral or a helix. Theconvoluted, central portion 36 of the mandrel 35 is thus provided with acontinuous ridge and an alternate continuous groove of the sameconguration as that which itis desired to form in the intermediate,exible n Formed integrally upon the end of the mandrel 35 is a square,reduced end portion 39 which is adapted to be inserted removably in asquare socket 49 formed in a cylindrical rotating socket member 42. Thesocket member 42 is xedly secured to the end of a shaft 43 which isrotatably mounted in a bearing 44 which has secured to the end thereofprojecting beyond the bearing 44 a turning wheel 45 through the mediumof which the` mandrel 35 is adapted to be rotated.

When a straw I0, constructed in accordance with my present invention, isto be manufactured, a generally cylindrical sleeve of readilydeformabl-e material is slipped over the mandrel 35. The mandrel35 isthen interposed betweentheupper and lower die members 24 and 29 and thesquared end 39 thereof. is inserted` `in the socket 4ll .of the socketmember 42. The interpositioning of the mandrel 35 between the upper. andlower die members v24 .and 29 is facilitated by raising the upper diemember 29 against the bias of the spring 30. The frame I9 of theapparatus I3 is longitudinally movable upon the bed 2I thereof and whenthe mandrel 35 has been inserted in the socket member 42 the frame I9 isso shifted that the die members 23 and29 will be positioned adjacent oneend of the convoluted, central, portion 35 of the mandrel 35.

Since-the die members 24 vand 29 are formed on the same pitch as theconvolutions of ,the central p-orton35 of the mandrel 35, theV diememberswill t withinthe groove I5 formed thereby. The force ofthespring30. will tend to drive the lower die member 24 and upper die member 29into the groove I5. When the .turning wheel 45 is rotated thesimultaneous rotation. ofthe shaft 43 through its connection with the.

`endof the mandrel 35 will cause the simultaneous rotation of thevmandrel and. will permit the frame I9 of the machine I3 to be shiftedlongitudinally along its bed 2l as the die members 24 and 29 travelthrough the groove I5 of the convoluted portion 3G of the mandrel 35.The die members 24 and 2S will thus form a convoluted, exible,intermediate portion in the generally cylindrical body of the straw Ill.When the forming operation is completed the upper die member 29 israised against the force of the spring 30 and the mandrel 35 is removedfrom between the die membersl 24 and 29. When the mandrel 35 has beenremoved the straw can then be displaced from its position thereupon.

After the formation of the flexible, intermediate portion I3 in the bodyof the straw Ill has been accomplished, the coating of plastic,frangible stubstance is applied to the intermediate ilexible portion I3.This coating of a frangible, plastic substance can be applied tothe4surface of the intermediate, flexible portion of the straw in anydesired manner such as immersion or spray. It is also conceivable thatit might be advantageous to coat the entire body of the straw with theplastic, frangible material to enhance the strength of the entire straw.I have discovered that a most ecient and suitable plastic, frangiblecoating material is provided byV a microcrystalline wax having a meltingpoint of not less than 150 F. 1

As was explained above, when the plastic,

frangible coating is applied to the intermediate Lflexible portion ofthe straw, the intermediate flexible portion is rendered temporarilyrigid. As

was also indicated, the partial fracturing of the coating of the plasticfrangible substance permits the adjustment or the end portion of thestraw; .it also serves to retain the end portion in the position towhich it is initially adjusted. The utili- .zation of the high meltingpoint wax described above to rigidity the intermediate Flexible portionof the straw |avoids the possible softening of the plastic coating whenhot liquids are drawn through the straw. Thus, the inadvertent softeningof the plastic coating and the consequent drooping of the end of thestraw are avoided and Vflexible portion adapted to permit the endportion thereof to be adjusted to an angle divergent from the centralvertical axis of the straw which has deposited upon the intermediatefiexible portion thereof a coating of a plastic, frangible substancewhich is adapted to temporarily render said intermediate flexibleportion rigid to facilitate the handing of and packaging of the strawsing: an end portionhaving asmooth surface and being of generallycylindrical shapej an intermediate, flexible portion formed integrallyrwith said end portion, the wall of said flexible portion beingconstituted by a series of convolutions, the greatest diameter of saidconvolutions being no greater than the largest diameter of said smoothend portion; and another end portion having a smooth surface 'and beingof generally cylindrical shape formed integrally with said intermediateflexible portion. v

2. An adjustable drinking straw made of flexible material and to beutilized in drawing liquid from the interior of a suitable vessel,comprising: an end portion having a smooth surface and being ofgenerally clyindrical shape; an intermediate, flexible portionintegrally formed with said end portion, the' wall of said flexibleportion being constituted by a spiral providing a continuous alternatingridge and groove for the entire length of said intermediate, flexibleportion, the widest diameter of said ridge being no greater than thewidest diameter of said end portion; and another end portion having asmooth surface and being of generally cylindrical shape, integrallyformed with said intermediate, liexble portion.

3. An adjustable drinking straw made of flexible material and to beutilized in drawing liquid and to permit the end of the straw projectingfrom a vessel or a bottle to be adjusted into a Y desired position andto be retained in that position during the use of the straw.

from the interior of a suitable vessel, comprising: an end portionhaving a smooth surface and being of generally cylindrical conformationwhose greatest diameter is no less than the greatest diameter of saidstraw; an intermediate, flexible portion formed integrally with said endportion, the wall of said flexible portion being constituted by a spiralwhich provides a continuous alternating ridge `and groove extending theentire length of said intermediate, flexible portion, with the greatestdiameter of said ridge being no greater than the greatest diameter ofsaid end portion; a coating of microcrystalline wax deposited upon thesurfaces of said ridge and said groove; and another end portion having asmooth surface and being of generally cylindrical configuration thegreatest diameter of whichis no less than the greatest diameter of saidintermediate, flexible portion formed integrally with said end portion.JOSEPH B. FRIEDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

